'In the spirit of Judaism': The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada in historical perspective, 1897-1990

For over a hundred years, the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC) has been engaged in philanthropic works which have assisted both the Jewish and general communities of Canada. Founded in Toronto in 1897, the NCJWC is a volunteer organization which has provided women with a Judaic milieu through which to express themselves as Canadians, one not offered by other dominant women's organizations. Although based on the ideas of the NCJW of the United States, the NCJWC quickly became a distinctly Canadian institution whose focus was facilitating Jewish life in Canada. In fact, the NCJWC stands alone in the world of Jewish women's organizations in its concentration on Canadian concerns. The Council has enabled Jewish women to contribute to society in patriotic ways while preserving their Jewish identity, and has thus fostered the development of Judaism in Canada. This project will establish that the NCJWC is a feminist organization committed to the advancement of Jewish women in all spheres of activity. It will examine the NCJWC from its establishment to the Second World War, followed by a case study of the Council's Ottawa Section from 1944, the year of its founding, until its closing in 1995.